Clifheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) 48 Clltheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, May 17th, 2007 www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


Colin Cooke: a true character and gent


by Margaret Parsons


A MAN for all seasons. That was Colin Cooke; the countryman, natu­ ralist, historian, sports­ man, pigeon expert - a man who just liked to walk, to talk and enjoy the countryside and chat with whoever he met along the way. Colin died last Friday,


* quite unexpectedly in the end, but after suffering failing health for some months. He was a figure known


all around the Kibble Val­ ley and Burnley areas. Whether he was leading sponsored walks for chari­ ty or judging birds or eggs a t local shows, people knew him. He died in Burnley


General Hospital a day after collapsing as he walked through Sabden last Thursday morning. He was 81 and proud of


the fact that he was born a t the Four Alls pub.


Higham, where his family lived and where he said his father, Martin, invent­ ed the famous Higham Balloon Juice Company. And tha t is probably


where his love for a tipple came, because he fre­ quented both village pubs, enjoying just a cou­ ple of drinks in each on his evening walks around Sabden where he had lived since marrying local girl Ida a t the village Baptist church in 1952. They settled in Sabden


and never moved. Colin worked as head butcher at Calderstones Hospital until he was 60 and in retirement his great love was walking around the Sabden Valley. So much so that he made a video entitled “The Sabden Way”, which proved so popular that it was sold all over the world to ex­ pats and people who just admired our local coun­ tryside. He was brought up in


Higham and in 1943, aged 18, was called up to the


Royal Navy, serving on landing craft in Malaysia, Singapore, Java and the islands of Bali. He returned safely and


inherited his love of pigeons from his father, who was an expert breed­ er. When his father died, his pigeon team was bought by an American millionaire and sailed there on the Queen Mary. Over the years Colin


became a pigeon breeder extraordinaire himself, winning awards far and wide with his birds, including the premier cross-Channel race sever­ al times, including once with a homing pigeon he named Stainscombe Lad, after a particularly beau­ tiful part of the Sabden Valley which was his favourite spot. At one time he had 75


birds in his race team and it was an all-consuming hobby preparing them for racing. In 1995, a pigeon from


the ex-serviceman’s loft was one of ju s t 50 -


including one of the Queen’s birds - released on a special flight organ­ ised by the Royal British Legion in Birmingham, to mark the 50th anniver­ sary celebrations of D- Day. The pigeons were


selected for their red, white or blue colourings and Colin’s blue bird was called Kibble Valley. He was a member of


poultry and agricultural shows far and wide, was a founder member of the Ribble Valley Poultry Society and an active member of the Burnley, Nelson, Great Harwood and Royal Lancashire Shows, among others, as well as being a top show judge all over Lancashire and Yorkshire. But others will remem­


ber Colin for his sporting knowledge and his days as the man in black as a Football League referee. Some years ago he was featured in a BBC film about “Match Of The Day” from the 1960s


when he was refereeing one of the first ever games screened on the pro­ gramme,


between


Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City at Hills­ borough and featuring 1966 World Cup hero' Gordon Banks. Colin never lost his love


of sport. He loved to talk sport and was a Burnley FC fan, having connec­ tions with the club from his refereeing days. Tributes were paid to


him at the village church­ es on Sunday morning and he will be missed at the two primary schools, where he led the children on nature walks passing on to them his love of the countryside and knowl­ edge of the local area. He raised thousands of


pounds for all sorts of groups with his country walks, which became known as “Cooke’s Tours”, and in recent years he worked with Lancashire County Coun­ cil’s Countryside Service promoting the Sabden


'■''fK ■ ■ ■


1 ACERftV«e4T«e ANCLAiO«£R UNACOCJt


fiuaOLCJA sfeocG COATUtj AVCLLAMA


U.CX ADArOLIUK HALUS 'J4hN COWMS.'


PbMVj A*nUn(M OUM.CUS A064R. RUA AR'*C^/3IS


30R&US AjCUAAR'A . MHauuix NiCRA TAROS DACCA.TA VlMjluH nAllillS


COLIN COOKE with Kibble Vallej’, (he pigeon which took part in the D-Day anniversary celebration. (S)


Valley and beyond. But he will be primari­


ly remembered as a true gentleman, always inter­ ested in other people and taking a keen interest in whatever was happening in the village he had made his own. His daughter, Jayne,-


said her father was a true character who will be much missed. Even though he had been in poor health since suffering two slight strokes he had


never stopped walking and fittingly he collapsed while out and about. As well as Jayne, he


leaves his wife, Ida, son Martin and his wife, and Jayne’s partner, Norman. His funeral will take


place a t St Nicholas’s Church in Sabden at 2 p.m. tomorrow followed by cremation at Burnley. Some of his ashes will be scattered around the val­ ley that he loved.


A C C ^ RAMP tllN V


Here’s who was elected to the parish and town councils


POLLING day was something of a damp squib for parish and town coun­ cils across the Ribble Valley, with most not warranting an election. Across the country these “grass


roots” councils are struggling to attract members willing to give freely


.^p( their time and talents to benefit the local community and represent its interests. That picture was reflected in the


Valley on May 3rd, with only two councils - Clitheroe Town and Chat- burn Parish - having more candidates vying for seats than there were seats available. In the area’s other rural parishes


there were less, or the same number of, candidates standing as there were seats available. In such cases, the can­ didates were elected unopposed and, in most cases, they were existing parish or town councillors. In short, nothing changed for the vast majori-


,, ty of parishes in the Valley. Not so in Chatburn, which proved


an oasis of electoral excitement in a desert of done-deal dreariness. As we reported last week the eighth and final seat on Chatburn Parish Council was decided on the toss of a coin when the final two candidates each polled 171 votes... even after two recountsl Luck was on the side of Stephen Booth, while long-serving parish


' ^councillor Edward Marcella could only ask: “Best of three?”


The other seven members elected


were Michael Barrett, Marjorie Birch, Herbert Boden, Howard Douglas, Gary Scott, Ronald Smith and Paul Whittaker. Each of Clitheroe’s five electoral


wards has two seats on the town coun­ cil, and'all were contested on May '3rd. In Edisford and Low Moor, Lib­ eral Democrats Ruth Hargreaves and Alan Tearing polled 490 and 486 respectively to claim their seats. Los­ ing out were Independents Ron Loe- bell (236) and John McGowan (81) and the’British National P a rty ’s Gavin McQuade (199). In Littlemoor Ward, Lib-Dems


Susan Appleton (590) and Glyn Fowler (607) beat Independent Bruce Dowles (308), and in Primrose Ward it was the Lib-Dems celebrating again, as Allan Knox (432) and Mary Robinson (497) dashed the hopes of Paul Frankland (196), who was standing for the England First Party. I t was a similar story in Salthill,


where Lib-Dems David Berryman (547) and Rosemary Connor (395) took the two seats, leaving Indepen­ dent Ian Brown (387) frozen out. In St Mary’s Ward, Simon


Entwistle (532) claimed the ninth of 10 town council seats for the Lib- Dems, but Conservative Christopher Punchard denied them total domina­ tion when he polled 514 to take the other St Mary’s seat, well ahead of Lib-Dem David Fletcher, who lost out on 340.


For Mr Punchard it was a glorious


double whammy, having already taken Lib-Dem group leader Frank Dyson’s seat on Ribble Valley Bor­ ough Council in the same ward. Two Ribble Valley parishes failed to


return any nominees before the pre­ election deadline, so in the parishes of West Bradford and Thornley-with- Wheatley the whole process must now


begin afresh. Each parish council has five seats available and nominations will be sought. If more than five can­ didates stand in either parish, then an election will be necessary. If less than five stand, they will be elected unop­ posed.


The list of councillors elected unop­


posed and vacant seats remaining on parish and town councils elsewhere in Ribble Valley is as follows: Aighion, Bailey and Chaigley:


Frances Ahearne, Simon Bailey, Peter Butterfield, Agnes Eccles, Jeremy Howarth, John Nutter, Allan Kay. Balderstonc: Philip Dixon,


Jonathan Greenwood, Joy Heffernan, Doreen Taylor, Nigel Woolley, Patri­ cia Young, (one vacancy). Bashall Eaves and Millon: George


Barnes, Paul Taberner, Christopher Wood, Timothy Scott, (three vacan­ cies). Billington and Langho: Michael


Collins, Martin Hincks, Claire Moran, Carl Ross, Brian Haworth, Graham Sowter, David Threlfall (two vacancies). BoKon-by-Bowland, Gisburn Forest


and Sawley: Dennis Capstick, Roger Dewhurst, Barbara Evans, 'Terence Murray, Angela Smith, Mary Walsh, Richard Schofield, Percy Tilbury, James Porter (two vacancies). Bnwiand Forest Higher Division:


Allan Carr, David Leedham, Debra Riding, David Spencer, Kenneth Win- stanley. Bowland Forest Lower Division:


James Alpe, Michael Alpe, Edwin Fletcher, Harold Joy, Turner Robin­ son.


Bowland-with-Leagram: Joanne


Hampson, Francis Mercer, Peter Har­ rison, Damien Lynch, John Weld- Blundell, (one vacancy). Chipping: Doreen Bailey, Stuart


Fletcher, William Robinson, David Slater, Graham Wilkinson, (one vacancy). Clayton-le-Dale: Peter Ainsworth,


Brenda Redhead, Alan Schofield, Richard Skoczen, Doreen Taylor. Dutton: James Hargreaves, Sylvia


Hopwood, Andrew Penny, Margaret Whalley, John Wilkinson, (two vacan­ cies). Gisburn: John Corlett, John Fal-


shaw, Peter Ryde, (two vacancies). Grindicton: Jeffrey Cowling, Car­


olyn Doherty, Geoffrey Marshall, Deborah McEvoy, John Pye, James Towler, (one vacancy). Hothersall: Rosina Hutchinson,


Patricia Morey, Michael Pearson, Simon Thompson, Brian Walker, Steven Warren, Robert Wilkinson. Longridge: Paul Byrne, David


Moon, James Rogerson, Rose-Marie Croasdale, Hilda Marie, Jonathan Waters, Derek Hicks, Valerie Martin- Warren, Francis Priest, Rupert Swar- brick (two vacancies). Mellor: Alan Dales, Lynne Gab-


butt, Kirsten Heys, Margaret John­ son, Fiona Murtagh, Charles Wark- man, Philip Willan, Margaret Young, Patricia Young, (one vacancy). Ncwton-in-Bowland: Martin Beat-


tie, John Bennett, Brian Dixon, James Howard, Richard Whitaker. Osbaldcston: Doreen Taylor, (four


vacancies). Pendleton: Ruth Cowperthwaite,


Ronald Saville, William Whitwell, John Whitwell, (one vacancy).


Ramsgreave: Brian Barlow, Paulene


Boardman, Teresa Nelson, John Theakstone, (one vacancy). Read: Doreen Collinson, Brian Jef­


frey, Cyril Law, Alan Mashiter, Gerald Nichols, Clifton Pollard, John Water- house, (one vacancy). Ribehester: Jennifer Berry, Alison


BroTO, John Dickinson, Ernest Law- Riding, William Rawlinson, David Royle, (one vacancy). Rimington and Middop: Bernard


Duckworth, Margaret Hughes, Jean Kerr, Christopher Smith, Robert Whit­ taker, Brian Berry, (one vacancy). Sabden: Antony Haworth, Jean


Haythornthwaite, Kathryn Marks, Patrick McGinley, Bernard Parfitt, Marion Procter, John Shorter, (two vacancies).


Salesbury: Jane Davies, John


Robinson, (three vacancies). Simonslone: John Aizlewood, Patri­ cia Carter, John Hill, Pamela Jelley,


Peter Lambert, Denise Rishton, (two vacancies). Slaidburn and Easington: Neil


Breaks, Jean Lawson, Frank Mason, Tracey Binder, (three vacancies). Waddinglon: Michael Colley,


Anthony Edmondson,,Kenneth Jack- son, Donald Midgley, Kenneth Staines, (two vacancies).


Whalley: Stephen Barker, June


BroTO’ Michael Fallon, Eric Ronnan, Jill Taylor, (four vacancies).


Wilpshire: Philip Bradshaw, David Briffett, Margaret Franey, Joan


Robinson, Craig Ward, (three vacan­ cies). Wiswcll and Barrow: Jean Brown,


Robert Thompson, (six vacancies). PRfFILE. OF a c c e s s RAMP S-OWfNS REUTWC- - ( SBADEWT fWJHOM f Hi.


VIS^v’ NW- FROM RJNTE-WEW OZA 3 LCVCU5 IbwASOSTHE-VH-LAGC..


t


A GROUP of Gisburn parents have formed a charity to build and maintain a new community park for Gisburn. The park will be sited on the field


above the Gisburn Festival Hall car park. Last month Ribble Valley Borough Council granted planning permission for the park.


The association is in the process of pur­


chasing the land. Work on site is planned to begin in June. The ambitious plans will see the field set out in three tiers, with access to the park from the car park. The


lowest tiered area will house a play area for the under fives. The middle tier is planned to hold an individually designed play area for six to 11 year-olds, made by a local craftsman from local timber. The top tier will provide the over-1 Is


with a multi-sports area. At the very top of the park there will be a viewing plat­ form featuring a piece of sculpture. The park will also provide an exciting


but safe cycle track. Giles Bridge, the chairman of the association, added: “When we asked local children what they wanted, the most popular request was for a cycle track.


s 4500HX. ALLOW TH A


lAtZP HQLti A •N


TCAVaii TO WkCWAtt. T S0CFAA££> SPCAX-S A«CNa ! I CBoss-ssixm E .- F 5HCWINS a r e a AO I c ir c u it I


SSUPMENTTOSfTE. MlN. W


MTWO =0A<Df*rro ID 77W4S


|C'iAI£Tp*c< I . t STAfClWO couaji. RNISK IN BtAC<. -40fcn53-


5m KkY ASA'tt-t a cew te - NMsJb fcrcEl, WtTH


ftWCLS HCCHrTO


oaxuAsc 78 sm ArpmjtoHt oufjN


ISOM rUM • COU. LA>09tV»4- A6C PlPt YB OUTFAtL.


TiA o m L oa3A9wJC oe<s • Fwnfits.


V « £ rY OF fEATUREO : R*nP3 JUHF3 • EARTH CtNSrRDCTlCN


CO?AH Crt£>3lR ai. «=F; Tty 51K •w o e WClAUSTOWLMHa^.M W:


eny c,ycu^ cukuh W


[ - MULTI • USE, &Ac :6 ARENA (KUCA) BASCD OM ATUMTA’ PiAV SYJTEM 6Y 'S n P •


p:AYseauAos PIATINC ZflNC SROWH With h'SH EHaasuRE acnhc


A>J0 fifEESiCD GOU-CRWOCT


'-<WA55CD/fl£-KEOCD AREA A*UND M fM - A HARD WKARirq^ TUAF CAN AEMltVCD 6Y LAYlNft CA0UOH>


RESI&TXHT HATTING m .*TW&uARO' WOTiHTlfif 6Tntn3.


t includ/nc a


RiMflC. EXISTING GV EAND CXnDO PCRl^«^K FENCllC


—EXTEND ftSJOART PLANTING AOAa&S


OLD CATCVAY AMD «C E 5 5 TRACIC.


TRCCG AMO tHRU5.<; ■ M £ :n5 CgASVAM-KgAaX^/ '»•» k PtA


■


1DL ■ b-


CfiA.TAtOV» ftoNOAYNA • -It 10 EbONYHut CUR0MCU3 HAHAHCU3 fUlUS


lU. IS l«t 4


ML <


I9L 8 e-it f 8-a V


lk-4 1 «c t IK. V «-rt 8


hOCUOfJ PiAUTiTo iNCLtoc :- LONCJULA KRltLVM£Mu«,CL£N/^S VOA. RbAiLi.ARkH C/AUUfiA Vp.


» kTri HY waitC: tetjHBN A O e Am t , KTf»C*Liti/H,


KW< MALLfftsr.PCOUT AvC RJJC. CAA« «iK TO (OCLdoC: Con*«M


eCMT. SCCCT rttNAL. VawtSMAE R i f t , S»T 6Aap(C,COSTS CeCSTAA.


ii-u V pam Dl 8


OjAKjwa C «A « AM=> TlMffrMY RAV riK S HAYlkCtifiC:- PaiNULA WLCAIiS


wjk CCUH JFP- l - l t


ICMAVTIA M itNW | .1 L 30 WNtuH UCftrCS VEAWICA


WiLV/A QrF&rqAtfi M u JO KYPCR<u«i flciftiuAnirti-lt


| . J L 30 is


l- J L to l*j«- 30


WELL.CftAieO J l t r p EARTH OY4K.: fifflCE TW> tSPTH 7D JCt tl • SCCUia WITH LOOti-Y


co-trercD c k a a s niv;


-jl to J . J L 30


1 UMCSTCNC .CNNro»« c r ERSECM UO. 01351 UOCOJ AMMA • Y


Hv.ican'. CAOVK. HtATHiCAr. jE l / ’MCAL,


CXCYE C»SliY OV4TUP :


iUDCAlsnu: t r w . au» t iw l mecht i3oor*« - TUrtOS UiiMS- Ofvfuc ILtCPUJ


www.ditheroeadvertiser.co.uk


Clitheroe Advertiser STimes, Thursday, May 17th, 2007 4S. Fund-raising drive for village park


/aZS5RA^p.Rlft4^:l2. fCnyMMsWiLL


f t i y z o c -Tctncs,


QUtK*Y.SUBW.5rt«-i|W OaC-TPACK.


Aa-M. TyflrttAjr.LABTWfjTM. J l ! I I I HtCOL 2 » C • TO WJ MK WITH W£0> HOiSi SKtJc. srrajNiM (» VALts


I V,CTftx«.5u«7kX PW W>£Ci06N.


1 WTH S* 1 j I fM O eVOC Z0*C.-c<N


I ASamOMC. I PU.Y Bupyun bajcj.


---W


ro DlcaAAftC »«CitSBV£JUrrr.l£CAtLY- SCESMOt T5 ATTtACr


^ f J rwy,m TO PUWP^*1 sengpur f UHlft HCAUUm’. uuiavj TJPUt Sm ajfif>y:CD a v o a r t 4o»ttfl. j AfCA'TOBC.LCVCa^ArfHa^BC.C^e.. IPFCR, zo^c/wavjwr ■'’ f in HUi-use Cbcu: eCAM- OAPAiSCDCAKrH e»vj<, O N o«i cittjir


CY^TWER •n«F-GSAi.CL NWZf


Cll*nt ICC Cotwunffy Det^n on behNf o( th« Gisbum Pi*yng Fi«ldt CmnflN. J®h: Ot»N»nCommun»yPUyArM (Revned afler cc


I'NtwnbefMOC) C0MR -3£C7X -C PMi N )N C > JC OttE, 2»C 6«0WifJG KZ AE C. C E.T C “Children have nowhere sate to cycle in


the village, because it is bisected by the A59 and the A682.” So far £46,000 in funding has been


obtained to commence the groundwork and to purchase play equipment.The amount of funding promised so tar is impressive. However, a further £60,000 will be


needed to finish the project. The associa­ tion is now embarking on a fund-raising drive around the village to raise the money to purchase the land. The parents will be asking local resi­ dents to purchase their own “piece of the


JO PAIC. I TCAE W RA WH M.FENL. ENOR G C3 AE T O


park”. For a £5 donation residents will be able to “buy” their own square foot of the park. A canvass of the \dllage will take place


over the next month in the drive to obtain funding for the charity. The canvas will also be used as a means of getting pledges from parents and local residents to pledge their time or skills to help transform the field into a community park. Already a number of local dads have volunteered to lay the cycle track. Local children are also getting involved


in the fund-raising efforts. Building upon the stunning success of Gisburn Primary


REVISED NOVEMBER 2006 0*t»: ?81t.?006 O nbyiO F«hw |0f»wlngN rtw 3 2 0070 1 4 5P


School at the recent inter-school Barnoldswick cross country race, local mothers Maxine Rayner and Trudi Wrathall will be organising a sponsored cross country run from the village by chil­ dren to raise funds. The next meeting of the group will be


at 8 p.m. on Monday, June 18th, at the Gisburn Festival Hall. All are welcome to attend to help in the planning of the proj­ ect or to offer any assistance. Anyone wishing to donate or offer


assistance should contact Mr Bridge op. 01274 722560 (work), 07866520457^ (mobile) or 01200 445124 (home).


m o r e than £450 has been raised for poor families in northern Bangladesh. A charity meal, organised by the


Friends of Sulla group, was held at the Dil Raj restaurant, in Parson Lane, Clitheroe and attracted over 50 people. The event was organised in support


of a project in northern Bangladesh, which focuses on helping small rural


Cash a id for poor fam ilie s Naturalists enjoy walk at Fountains Abbey As the route progressed


communities in the Sulla district. In particular, the project helps small scale farmers and also provides a network of village primary schools. Friends of Sulla,would like to thank


everyone who attended and supported the event, especially the staff and man­ agement at Dil Raj who gave so gener­ ously of their time and financial back­


ing.


THE Fountains Abbey area was the destination for Glitheroe Naturalists on an overcast spring morning. Walkers made their way


along the valley side with Fountains Hall below. The abbey ruins then came into view. It was one of the richest


and most powerful monaster­ ies until Henry VIII dissolved the larger establishments in 1539. The walk then went across


open land to Hill House Farm where a clematis in full bloom covered a garden wall. After entering a wood on the edge of


the estate a herd of deer was seen and the bluebells were in full bloom. . After lunch was taken, the walkers went through several fields of barley, wheat and oilseed rape before reaching Makerfield Hall and Fairfield Manor House.


early purple orchids were among the 54 different flowers seen, along with brown hareF and 26 types of birds includ­ ing chiff chaff and swallows. 9 The next walk is on Sat­


urday to Kirkby Lonsdale. To book ring 428117.


IW f l l iliSfvSi


a:J41”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38